Saturday, March 1, 2014

Avoiding Blogging...Until Now

For years, I've avoided blogging. Sure, every now and then I toy with the idea of starting a blog after I've had some new monumental thought that I want to share with the world. Inevitably, I start to consider blogging about said thought and go to the internet to find a blogging website. I sit down at my computer, intent on sharing my thoughts with the world.

Then, it happens. Every. Single. Time.  A swam of hesitations attack my brain:

"You don't have a niche. You can't have a blog without a niche."
"What's your blogging name going to be? All good blogs have a clever name. No name? No blog."
"Have you seen your to-do list recently? You don't have time to write a blog."
"Do you really think other people would be interested in reading your thoughts?"
"Do you really want other people to read your thoughts?"

Surrendering in defeat to the attack of doubts, I  close the blogging webpage on my computer (yet again), resigning myself to the fact that I should just keep my twisted web of thoughts in my head.

Until today.

I still don't have a niche. I still don't have a clever name. And my to-do list is still a mile long.

But, the teacher I have been observing as part of my TESOL field experience has encouraged her class to participate in the "Slice of Life" blogging challenge, which involves blogging about something for every day in the month of March. I'll admit, when I first learned about it, I thought it was an amazing way to encourage literacy and was inspired by the example this teacher was setting for her students. "I should do it, too!" I thought. I may not have English Language Learners to inspire right now, but I can certainly start creating habits now that will (hopefully) influence the lives of my future students.

Then the attack happened. The same old hesitations came back and I reverted back to my old tendencies. I closed the blogging window on my computer and decided not to do it. "That's a great thing for them to do," I thought, "but I just don't have the time...or the ideas...or the right niche...or..."

I couldn't get rid of the nagging in my mind, though. Why not try? Why not start writing more often? Why not choose to start setting examples today for students that I might have in the future?

So, here we go...."Slice of Life" challenge accepted. My postings might not be witty, insightful, or inspiring. More likely, they will be a tangled web of thoughts that happen to be posted to the internet.  But perhaps somewhere in the writing down of that tangled web, I will become a better writer, teacher, and role model for my students in the future. If not, what's the worst that can happen?

9 comments:

  1. Welcome. I never thought of the importance of a niche. I don't think I have one.....OH NO!!! Happy Blogging. By the way, the name of your blog intrigued me enough to visit. I will return.

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  2. This reminds me of that expression "jumping without a net" - blogging is a risk worth taking! Welcome to SOLSC!

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  3. I agree with Maureen - blogging is definitely worth the risk. You DON'T have to have a niche. Just jump in - I look forward to reading your posts.

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  4. Yay, Laura!!! So glad you've jumped into the world of blogging! Seeing your post completely made my day! It's an amazing feeling to know that I had a small part in getting you started on what will be an incredible journey. You will love the Slice of Life community! You'll also love the way blogging makes you a more reflective teacher and helps you understand the struggles of your students in a totally different way. Hooray for you!!!

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  5. P.S. I love the name you chose -- from your post, I can tell that it fits your writing voice well. I had all the same hesitations as you when I first started -- I think I fiddled around with my blog's setup for a solid two weeks before I wrote my first post, and I almost had a heart attack when I hit "Publish"! :-)

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  6. Sometimes you just have to start and you did. You have started to make your mark, tell your stories and find your voice. You are in for an exciting adventure!

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  7. You express what the majority of us feel. You got started! Thank you for reminding me of the courage and honesty we muster to take that first step.

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  8. Welcome to this amazing family of writers. I think we have all been in a similar boat. I know that my plunge was a reluctant one that was hesitant. I took this challenge 4 years ago for the same reasons...to be a better teacher of writing and to inspire my kids. All of that happened, but I was also inspired by the other writers that take on this challenge. I look forward to reading your 'tangled web of thoughts'.

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  9. So glad you decided to start! It will be fun!

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